You Are The Result of the Love of Thousands

“Walking, I am listening to a deeper way.

Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me.

Be still, they say. Watch and listen.

You are the result of the love of thousands.”

Linda Hogan

Native American Writer

……

Recently, I completed a mitochondrial DNA test (mtDNA) to determine my motherline ancestry. What does this mean, exactly? To put it simply, my mtDNA connects me directly to my mother, her mother, her mother’s mother, her grandmother’s mother, and every direct mother linkage before that, going back in time for thousands of years! It can only be passed on from mother to daughter, so it uniquely connects a woman to her direct maternal ancestors, and therefore provides a window into the actual origins of our mothers and their mothers. My mtDNA test determined that my motherline belongs to a group identified on the human family tree as Haplogroup T2 (and more specifically, T2c1d1).

I already knew that my mother was British (born in Malta), and that my grandmother and her mother were Maltese, but I did not know where my direct maternal ancestors originated prior to my great grandmother, nor where they travelled through time in the world! Haplogroup T2 was a new branch that developed on the family tree during the Ice Age (between 26,000 and 19,000 years ago). Each of us who’s mtDNA is from Haplogroup T2 share that same female ancestor. It is currently believed that its most likely place of origin was in the Near East. The T2 group has been identified as playing a significant role in the Neolithic expansions from Anatolia and into Europe, and that they were amongst those farmers who gradually spread out into Europe bringing with them revolutionary concepts of agricultural practice. As this group evolved and traveled over time, additional strands of this particular branch developed…..in my case, first as T2c (found mostly in the Near East and Mediterranean Europe), then as T2c1 (found in Iran, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, Italy, Sardinia, Spain and Central Europe), then as T2c1d (found in Italy, Sardinia and Spain), and finally as T2c1d1 (which I can only assume must be found in Malta – though my results didn’t specify that).

Having learned all this, what makes this information significant?

First….it reveals that, no matter where we “think” we came from, our ancestors most likely traveled many paths through many cultural environments we may not have been aware of, which ultimately resulted in where we are today. This means our family/ancestral stories are much greater than we might imagine! It also means we are far more connected to our world and the entire human family than we might have appreciated. For example, I am an American. While I was aware that I had British and Maltese roots, I was unaware that my maternal ancestors may have shared a history in many parts of the world that today, my American culture is fearful of, mistrusts, and has been at war with. It is possible that many Americans have similar types of connections in their past, and if they were more fully aware of it, they might pause to reflect for a moment on just how connected they are to others. We are a country of immigrants, we were founded as a country by immigrants, and every single one of us who lives here (with the exception of Native Americans) has a family member that was once an immigrant to this country. It is possible, in fact most likely, that we Americans have blood relatives throughout the world that we are unaware of, and may, in fact, have gone to war against. The human family is, indeed, a family – our family, and we should wonder why it is that we are in such conflict with those other parts of ourselves.

Second….revealing a woman’s motherline to her, suddenly releases the invisibility of a long history of women who helped shaped the world and created its inhabitants! So much of our “known” history has been defined by men – women, children and property have been connected through the men identified as their “legitimate” owner/sponsor. Even on a basic level, women inherit their identity through a male (taking the last name of their father, and often taking the last name of a husband). But, viewing a woman’s motherline allows her to see her female ancestors in their own right, as unique individuals with their own identities (though still untold stories) who connected with others in different locations in the world at different periods within human history. Their existence is not defined by whether they were considered “legitimate” or not, whether they emerged as a result of love or violence, whether they had been forced into marriage for money or tradition or whether they deeply loved their mate, whether they lived a peaceful existence or were victimized as a spoil of war. Their stories are silent, but their existence is no longer invisible. They exist, because their descendants exist. The motherline lives within a woman’s DNA, and whatever the maternal ancestor’s long journey through human history caused them to experience, enjoy, or overcome, they succeeded in carrying that aspect of creation through the ages and into the present day, through their daughters, resulting in the women who currently live today in our present time.

I have always had an interest in human cultures around the world, and, in fact, many years ago earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Sociology. I also earned a Master’s Degree in Peace and Justice Studies (which looked at cultural relationships, issues of equity, and structural violence). Suddenly, the things I studied about the different periods in human history and culture now take on new meaning for me as I consider my motherline. I am now much more personally connected to world history and the variety of world cultures, knowing that my specific motherline had an intimate role within those times and places.

Additionally, having grown up with parents from two cultures (who, in their childhoods, were often relocating with their families) and having myself relocated frequently in childhood and adulthood, I have never really felt connected to any place or group. There has been no place that has completely felt like “home”, in the way that it might feel to those who have strong roots to a place and culture. Imagining the long connection of women in my motherline, their journeys and cultures going back thousands of years, provides me with the roots I had been missing. I feel connected to them is a way that is difficult to describe.

There is still so much that we do not know about our stories and our history and why we develop into the people we develop into, but a good place to start to understand ourselves and our world a little better, is to explore what information is hidden within us in our DNA. We exist in this particular period in time because of the love of thousands who preceded us. Just knowing this fact should make every one of us understand the specialness of our existence, and the importance of ensuring that everything we do in life be focused in some positive way towards ensuring that we leave the world far better than we found it for those who will follow when we are long gone.

34 thoughts on “You Are The Result of the Love of Thousands”

What an interesting post Anita! I really enjoyed taking a look and considering our past ancestors, their lives, and our connections… we are all interconnected one way or another… as you said as a “human family”. I also come from a line of different immigrant groups that came to the Americas in times of war, and then, I personally had to migrate a couple of times, feeling very much as you said, kind of up-rooted… And yet when we look at the whole picture that took thousands of years in the making… beyond the flags, and cultural/ political and language borders, finding that we all share many common links, truly helps us to realize that we all “belong” to our human family after all. This also makes it very clear, how immature we are, as we remain so highly concerned about borders, divisions and labels and wars, living in our own separate bubbles… still fighting and wanting control…Hopefully, our vision begins to expand and we can grow and mature as a species that can fully realize our inter-connectedness… and hopefully learn to leave in peace with all humanity, our mother earth, and all living creatures!
In Oneness, Amira

Wonderful post! You have given me so much to think about. History is taught from the male perspective which should not be an aha moment. Of course women’s experience would have been so different. You highlight so beautifully how we are all connected. Thank you!

What an illuminating post, Anita.
I have always thought that so much of our character, beliefs and attitudes are shaped by our parents (or caregivers) and theirs before them, so I have contemplated my parents and grandparents lives to better understand my own. But you spin a much wider web that catches us all!
Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Love, Light & Blessings to you and your loved ones.
Trina

Thank you so much for your very kind comments, Trina! Just like you, I have contemplated my parents and grandparents lives to better understand my own, also believing that much of our makeup is shaped by them. Realizing how far back our DNA can take us, adds a whole new layer to my contemplations! Love and Light to you, as well! ~Anita

What a fascinating topic! I had no idea you could get a mtDNA test done to determine your mother’s ancestors. One time, my oldest son did a research project for school where he traced my female ancestors back until he found the one who immigrated from Ireland.
Because we are a nation of immigrants, I can imagine that our DNA comes from all over the world. As you say, we are all part of the “Human Family”. Love it!

Thank you for your reply, Laurie. Yes, I believe a number of DNA test sites now will include the mtDNA option for females. I used Living DNA (www.livingdna.com/) for my test. There is a test for the fatherline ancestry (YDNA) that males can take, as well, if they want to see their direct male ancestry back thousands of years. These tests are different from the regular family DNA tests that are done, which can only look back at 6-10 generations, and are the result of different combinations of DNA passed down to a person collectively from their male and female ancestors. I love that your son did a research project on your female ancestors! What a beautiful thing for a son to engage in, as it not only honors his mother, but also all the women in his past! ~Anita

I really liked the title of your blog post. It instantly gave the family ancestry reasearch I‘ve been doing for a few years now a very touching overall theme. And even though, as you say, probly not all children resulted from love relationships I certainly hope most of my ancestors did. I haven’t done a DNA test but I have been able to trace my family back to about 500 ancestors, direct and side lines. It’s been eye opening for me, too. Especially some of the very tragic life stories I encovered in the process.

Thank you so much for your very kind comments! 🙂 And congratulations on all the ancestry research you have done on your family! I find ancestry information so fascinating! It helps to explain more about ourselves and perhaps where we get many of our traits, interests, fears, etc. And when females can do the mtDNA or when males can do the YDNA, they can learn so much more about their connections that go well beyond the written documentation available – going back thousands of years! Enjoy…..and thank you, again! 🙂

Anita, this is a very interesting post. I would like at some point to reblog it if that is OK? It will fit really well with a blog that I am currently research in on grounding and what exactly we should feel when we are grounded. It is taking some time to amalgamate my thoughts on this, and your DNA mitochondrial research and defections on what they mean, are, I think, an integral part of who we are as beings and how we resonate with all life.
Very well done piece of writing!👏💕💕

Thank you so much for your very kind comments, Colette! And yes, absolutely, feel free to re-blog anything you like from my blog! I am honored that you would want to do so! ❤ The blog you referenced working on (regarding grounding), sounds really interesting – I look forward to reading it when you post it! Thanks you again for your kind comments! 🙂 ❤

Hi Anita, I came to read your post in full from Colette’s re-blog of your post.. I find our Ancestry fascinating and while not investigating my own heritage I find it so interesting how our DNA is linked back to specific time frames.
Which also over the years via various authors I have read confirms how we have had our DNA fused at various points in ancient history. Which Science is now just proving when you read deeper into our origins..
I found this paragraph of yours also very interesting Anita.
” I also earned a Master’s Degree in Peace and Justice Studies (which looked at cultural relationships, issues of equity, and structural violence). Suddenly, the things I studied about the different periods in human history and culture now take on new meaning for me as I consider my motherline. I am now much more personally connected to world history and the variety of world cultures, knowing that my specific motherline had an intimate role within those times and places.”
I believe we are all more connected than many of us know..
And now is the time I feel many more of us are seeing we are all connected not just via our DNA strands but through our Mass Consciousness..
I really enjoyed reading this Anita .. Many thanks for sharing.
Sue 🙂

Thank you so much for your very kind comments, Sue! I, too, believe that we, and everything in existence, are interconnected. The wonderful thing about living in the time we live in, is that science is beginning to show this as well, and DNA is doing this in a particularly interesting way. 🙂 I am pleased that you enjoyed my post and visited my site, and thank you for taking the time to express such kind comments! 🙂 ❤

All societies should be matrairchal; before DNA was understood, a baby emerging from its mother was the only sure proof of its parentage. DNA is far more complex than the layman first imagined and to trace one’s motherline back forever is amazing. Thanks for a great blog.

Thank you so much for your very kind comments, Janet! It is really very amazing how much information is stored in our DNA, and I love being able to explore the connections to the women in our past! 🙂 ❤

Thank you so much for your kind sentiments, da-AL! Exactly as you said “we’re all unique yet alike, ourselves yet interconnected”! I feel this every time I interact with others and follow blogs, such as yours! 🙂